


🦅𝓢𝓴𝔂𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓼🦅

by skyofblue_seaofgreen



Series: Blue's "If They Lived" AUs [2]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: :), Also Mistlekit Lives AU, Angst probably, Deaf Character, F/F, F/M, M/M, Snowkit Lives AU, There will be more tags but uhh I don't know what else to write!, There's more but my fingers are tired, Uhh...enjoy!, fluff probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:33:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28471692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyofblue_seaofgreen/pseuds/skyofblue_seaofgreen
Summary: Snowkit's deafness has never really affected his life, but when he was taken from his home by a dangerous hawk, he had to find his way back to ThunderClan on his own. Meanwhile, his sickly sister, Mistlekit, is determined to search for and locate her missing brother. As the two of them find their way back to ThunderClan, they have to face new challenges that might keep them from ever becoming warriors.(Same writer as ❄𝓢𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓭𝓻𝓲𝓯𝓽𝓼❄! Hope y'all enjoy it!)
Relationships: Cloudtail/Brightheart, Darkmoon/Longtail, Fireheart/Sandstorm, Mousefur/Mossflower, Whitestorm/Willowpelt
Series: Blue's "If They Lived" AUs [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086467
Comments: 37
Kudos: 47





	1. Snowkit

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, folks! Thanks for checking out another one of my 'if they lived' aus! If you'd like to read it, my first was about Mosskit, and it's called ❄𝓢𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓭𝓻𝓲𝓯𝓽𝓼❄. You don't have to read that one to understand this, but it might help. If you'd like me to add trigger warnings/give me pointers on how to write a deaf character (because I've never done this before), feel free! Enjoy! -Blue 🍋

Snowkit knew about the things his Clanmates said about him. He knew about all their misgivings, doubts and wonders. He could see them flash him odd stares and mutter about him when they thought he couldn’t see. And usually, it didn’t bother him. Clan cats were going to gossip because they didn’t have a lot else going on. But sometimes he knew they didn’t believe in him, and he couldn’t understand why.

But he couldn’t hear them mutter and murmur, because he was what they liked to call ‘deaf.’ It meant he couldn’t hear the birds sing, the cats meow or the rain patter on the roof of the nursery den. But Snowkit didn’t see why being able to hear was all that important. He could still feel cats walking around through vibrations on the ground, see them coming to and fro and smell their distinct scents. Just because he couldn’t hear, that made him inferior? It didn’t make any sense to him. 

Snowkit was lucky in most aspects, though. He had a loving mother in Speckletail. Although she was the oldest nursery queen and her milk tasted sort of sour, she was full of wisdom and never doubted him for a second. He had a sweet but often sickly sister, Mistlekit, who helped him to understand cats talking. They even had a little sign-language with each other, which meant Mistlekit could translate things to Snowkit that he couldn’t understand by lip-reading or body language. He had a couple friends in Goldenflower’s kits: Bramblekit and Tawnykit, and Willowpelt’s: Sorrelkit, Rainkit, and Sootkit, though they were too young to play yet. He was sheltered in the warm moss of the nursery den and still had a moon to go till his apprentice ceremony. All the time he needed to get his “kit rambunctiousness” out, as Willowpelt liked to say.

But life in ThunderClan wasn’t all sunlight and fun. A devastating fire had just raged through almost all of their territory, singing the trees and the bushes all black. It had been pouring rain for about a moon now, like StarClan was still trying to put out the last little flame. Snowkit didn’t remember much about it besides having bleary eyes and a burning throat. He remembered being carried by the deputy, Fireheart, for a time before being handed to Whitestorm. He kept mewling for his mother or Mistlekit, but he could not find her. Then everything else was blurry until he felt cold water at his paws, and then everything smelled of water and salt. His eyes were still caught up with grime and tears, but he vaguely remembered being in the RiverClan nursery with Speckletail and Mistlekit as they recovered from the fire’s impact on them. 

Snowkit also remembered looking around at the strange place. He’d never seen anything like it. The whole thing was like an overarching pack of willow branches, reeds, and sedge. It smelled faintly of fish and a lot like water. There were two queens there that Snowkit did not recognize: a ragged-furred, tortoiseshell she-cat with two gray kits and a blue-gray she-cat with four black, gray and cream kits. He noticed Mossflower, one of the senior warriors of ThunderClan, come in to nuzzle the gray queen and sit with her for a while. Speckletail told him that they were sisters.

Soon afterwards they were brought home. Snowkit could smell something sour and dull from the medicine den, and not long after Fireheart and Cinderpelt, the medicine cat, dragged Yellowfang’s limp body out into the center of camp. There were dark blotches all over her pelt, scratches, and soot. Snowkit was quickly shepherded away from the scene.

Life after the fire had been a lot more dismal than before. There were only so many puddles you could jump into, after all. Sometimes Mistlekit would have coughing attacks from the soot and dust that traveled through the air, but everything else was fine. Well, as fine as it could be. 

Snowkit woke up another gray morning to an even grayer nursery. He didn’t like dull colors, as sight, touch and smell were his only senses. He adored bright, vibrant colors, but now the whole forest, instead of being green with foliage, was black and gray. He shook his pure white pelt out and padded to the front of the nursery, watching the remaining raindrops from the night before drip from the overhanging lichen. Last night had been the Gathering; he vaguely wondered how that went. 

He glanced towards the Highrock, Fireheart was looking turmoiled as he spoke to Cinderpelt. He noticed everybody else’s fur ruffled, too, their eyes fleeting back and forth as they murmured to each other. Snowkit tilted his head; he knew this might be important. He turned around to see if Speckletail was awake, but no. The lean tabby she-cat was dead asleep in her nest, Mistlekit curled up beside her. Snowkit didn’t know who else to ask.

He sat down and began running his tongue through his soft fur. His paws shifted as he felt the steps of his Clanmates _thump-thump-thump_ around him. Some were lighter than others. Snowkit’s ears perked as he watched Swiftpaw and his sister Lynxpaw launch from the apprentice’s den. They were almost getting big enough to be warriors. Lynxpaw’s jaws opened in laughter as they tumbled around, kicking and pawing at each other with strong limbs. They were nearly ready to be warriors, as were their denmates: Thornpaw, Brightpaw, Brackenpaw, and Cloudpaw. 

Then he spotted Deerlight and Mockingbirdflight slide out of the warrior’s den, shaking their thick pelts out. Larkleap just barely came out from underneath them. Snowkit watched as the proud, confident warriors strode out of the bramble wall to go find prey for their Clanmates. The three of them were Mossflower and Mousefur’s kits, part of a litter of six: Deerlight, Mockingbirdflight, Larkleap, Lavenderflower, Thrushheart, and Whitecatcher. Or, eight, if you counted their littermates, Echostep and Blizzardspots, who died as kits but still got honorary warrior names. Snowkit never knew why they died, but he’d always been curious. Speckletail would never tell him, though.

Rubyheart and Icywhisper followed not long after them. The two cats had been kittypets once, part of the same litter. Icywhisper had joined ThunderClan when he was very young, but Rubyheart came a bit later when she was a rogue. Their brother, Socks, might still be out there. Willowpelt told stories of him as a mangy, flea-ridden black-and-white rogue who hissed and spat at anyone who came near him, but based on how kind and thoughtful Rubyheart and Icywhisper were, Snowkit wasn’t sure that was completely true. 

A flash of dark gray caught his eye, and he slowly looked over at Cinderpelt. The young medicine cat had only become the sole healer of her Clan after Yellowfang had passed, and it wasn’t hard to tell she was overwhelmed. When she was young, she’d been hit by a Twoleg monster, which caused her back left leg to be permanently mangled. Cinderpelt could have never been a warrior, but herbs intrigued her, which seemed to satisfy her. But Snowkit could tell she wasn’t all there most of the time, probably dreaming of a life where she wasn’t confined to the walls of the medicine den. 

Snowkit caught Mistlekit’s scent from beside him, and he turned to look at her. Her short, brown tabby pelt was sleek and freshly-groomed, white paws neat, amber eyes clear and glittering even when there was no sunlight. _Good morning,_ she signed, drawing her paw up from the ground.

 _Morning,_ Snowkit replied in his own body language. Their signing wasn’t very fluid or eloquent, but it made do. _How are you?_

 _Tired of all this gray,_ Mistlekit sighed. _You?_

_Same here,_ Snowkit flicked an ear as Mistlekit began to smooth his pelt down. He was never the best at grooming, but she always made sure to look her very best when she could. She fretted over a patch of missing fur for a quarter-moon after the fire, covering it up with a leaf before it grew back. _What's everyone so upset about?_

Mistlekit shrugged. _I don't know. I fell asleep before they came back._

Snowkit’s tail flicked. _What do you think it could be?_

Mistlekit shrugged again, lowering her head. _Nothing good._

Snowkit turned around to see if Speckletail was awake. Fortunately, she was blinking wearily, licking at a paw pad. _Let's go ask her!_ Mistlekit’s tail pointed to their mother as she bounded over, Snowkit following her. He could feel the soft den floor, easy on his pads. He watched Mistlekit ask Speckletail what was wrong, unable to hear her words. The golden tabby sighed, looking around at the other sleeping queens before replying and signing: _ShadowClan’s new leader is Tigerclaw. I won’t even dignify him by calling him Tigerstar, he doesn’t deserve it. He caused devastation to the Clan. I’m horrified ShadowClan would even think of taking him as leader._

Snowkit and Mistlekit exchanged a glance. They’d been born when Tigerstar was still in ThunderClan, but Snowkit hardly remembered a thing about him. Speckletail spent a lot of her time fretting over Mistlekit, who was sick in the medicine den with greencough for her first few moons. But Snowkit definitely remembered when he attacked Bluestar. It was a big, confusing fiasco, and it was only explained to him a long time after Tigerstar was exiled. 

Snowkit’s skin crawled underneath his pure white fur. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t heard _stories_ about the treacherous tabby. With Tigerstar in control as leader of ShadowClan, who was only across the Thunderpath, who knew what sort of horrors could befall ThunderClan?


	2. Mistlekit

Mistlekit sat beside Tawnykit, watching her brother and Bramblekit play. It was the first sunny day in a while, with clear, cloudless skies. Though Snowkit had the upper paw because of his size, Bramblekit was agile and could get around him easily. Tawnykit cheered her brother on, and Mistlekit drummed her paws on the ground so Snowkit could feel her.

“What a gorgeous day, don’t you think so?” Mistlekit’s ears flicked as Goldenflower’s voice sounded from behind her. “Not one cloud in the sky.”

Speckletail’s tail curled around her flank as she licked a paw. “I wish the rest of the forest looked as nice,” she said. “Everything is charred and dusty.”

“At least we can be happy with the blue skies,” Willowpelt responded. Mistlekit could hear Sorrelkit, Sootkit, and Rainkit mewling at their mother’s belly. This was Willowpelt’s third litter: she’d had Darkmoon first, then Graystripe, then her newest. Mistlekit heard she once had a young she-kit named Lightkit, but Speckletail advised her not to talk about that.

Mistlekit figured she probably died from sickness. She knew all too much about that. From her first moon she was already ill with whitecough, spending her first few days of life in the medicine den. Ever since then, she’d come down with coughs, fevers, and shakes at different intervals. She felt bad for her mother, always having to fret over her two kits. One deaf, one always in poor health. 

Suddenly, Snowkit’s squeal sounded, and Mistlekit looked up. Bramblekit was pinning the poor tom down, claws out as he pressed him harder into the dirt. “Bramblekit, stop it!” Mistlekit meowed. “Stop!”

Snowkit let out a shrill, off-sounding cry as he tried to shove Bramblekit off, but the tabby held down. Mistlekit was about to get up, but all of the sudden Fireheart shot out and pulled Bramblekit off of Snowkit by his scruff. “Hey!” Bramblekit meowed. “No fair!”

“What do you think you’re doing?” Fireheart snarled as he dropped the tabby kit. “You were injuring Snowkit!”

“He’s alright!” Bramblekit looked up at the deputy with indignance. Mistlekit got up to go look over her brother. He seemed fine, just a bit ruffled. She smoothed down his fur with her tongue as he pulled away with a grumble. Mistlekit sighed. She knew he didn’t like being fretted over very much. Bramblekit was still being scowled at by Fireheart. “It’s nothing. We’re just playing!”

“Only playing? Then why was Snowkit crying out like that?” Fireheart said. His tail was lashing back and forth like the head of a snake. Mistlekit knew he felt hostile towards Bramblekit because Tigerstar was his father. He had the same tabby stripes and blazing amber eyes, and Fireheart seemed to not be able to see past that. 

“How should I know?” Bramblekit grumbled. “He can’t play right anyways!”

“Yeah,” Tawnykit rolled her green eyes. “He never has any good games!”

Goldenflower finally decided to get up and go over to her kits. “What’s gotten into you two? There is nothing wrong with Snowkit’s games. You’re just too rough on him!”

Mistlekit felt Snowkit move, and she looked over to see him signing something.  _ Nobody is too rough! I’m fine! _ he insisted. Irritation blazed in his blue eyes. 

“Yeah!” Mistlekit meowed. “See? Nothing’s wrong with him.”

Bramblekit padded over and nudged Snowkit to his paws. “Come on, Snowkit,” he said. “Let’s start over. You can be Clan leader this time, ‘kay?”

Snowkit stared at him for a while, reading his words, and then nodded, finally standing up. “‘Kay,” he said. Sometimes when Snowkit tried to speak, his words came out horribly distorted and odd-sounding, which was why he usually liked to sign instead. But Mistlekit and Speckletail seemed to be the only ones who understood him.

Fireheart’s green gaze met Speckletail’s. “Maybe you should bring him to Cinderpelt,” he advised. “Make sure he’s not hurt.”

Speckletail glared at him. “There’s nothing wrong with my kit!” she growled. “Are you saying that I can’t look after him properly?”

Fireheart’s ear flicked, and Goldenflower looked up at him. “She’s very protective over Snowkit,” she explained. “And Mistlekit, too. It comes from their... _ problems _ .”

Mistlekit’s fur ruffled. She wanted to yell at Goldenflower, but she knew the golden tabby was right. As the two of them spoke for a while, Mistlekit watched Snowkit and Bramblekit scuffle around. She knew Snowkit wasn’t that into it anymore, though. Mistlekit coughed a few times before going back inside the nursery and sitting beside Speckletail, who still looked angry.

“It’s okay, Mama,” Mistlekit insisted. “I’m sure Fireheart didn’t mean it.”

Speckletail sighed. “I know,” she sighed. “But...I’m just so worried about him. About both of you.” She licked between Mistlekit’s ears. “But you don’t have to worry, my dear. It’ll be okay. You just focus on your play, alright?”

Mistlekit’s amber eyes glowed. “But it’s hard.”

Speckletail smiled. “I know. Run along now. Snowkit and Bramblekit need another playmate to join in their game.” She pushed Mistlekit along with her paw, and the tabby she-cat tried to hurry along. But she couldn’t focus on anything except Speckletail’s worries, which seeped into her own head. She sighed, scuffing the earth with her paw. Why couldn’t she and Snowkit just be like everybody else?


	3. Snowkit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention...sign language is in italics and dialogue (even when Snowkit is reading lips) is in quotations. 🍋

Snowkit stared up at the darkened sky. For the first time in a while he could see the stars that made up Silverpelt, glittering and gleaming without the cover of clouds. His blue eyes reflected the light as his tail scuffed over the ground. He liked being the only one awake at night. There was no noise he had to pay attention to. And the sky was always pretty. Sometimes Snowkit wished he could fly. He wondered what it might look like soaring over the trees.

Snowkit gazed over at the Highrock. He could barely see Bluestar in her den. The tall, slender she-cat had her head on her paws. She looked exhausted, and her muzzle was almost entirely gray.  _ She must be getting old, _ Snowkit thought. Even Mossflower, Bluestar’s daughter, was getting up there in years. But the gray-and-white warrior was still fast on her paws, and next to Mockingbirdflight, she could still jump over the trees and catch birds in one swipe. 

Snowkit’s gaze drifted over to the warrior’s den. Mockingbirdflight’s brother, Whitecatcher, was blind. His eyes had never opened before, the lids fastened together. Nobody was sure if he even had eyes underneath that. But Whitecatcher was still the one of the most talented cats in the Clan, and he would never fall behind his littermates. Snowkit ran a paw over his ears as it flopped over. If Whitecatcher could do things without sight, surely that must mean Snowkit could do things without sound?

He flinched as he felt something brush against his flank. He turned his head to see Rainkit tottling over to him, his blue eyes large. They were unusually colored, like his mother’s. Rainkit said something that Snowkit didn’t catch. He flicked his tail, uncomfortable. Since Rainkit didn’t know his sign yet, he had to speak, which he hated. “I can’t hear you,” he meowed, hoping he didn’t sound too strange. He could only feel the vibrations in his vocal chords, no noise. “I don’t...know what...you said.”

Rainkit tilted his head, momentarily confused, and then nodded. The tom sat down by Snowkit and looked up at the stars too. Snowkit felt a bit uncomfortable for a moment, but then he relaxed, knowing Rainkit wouldn’t judge him. The little tom had large, pricked ears, a sleek, dark gray pelt, and drooping whiskers that looked like raindrops were falling off of them.  _ Hence the name _ , thought Snowkit briefly. He saw nothing from Cinderpelt’s den, and he knew she and the other Clan medicine cats were at Mothermouth to sleep with StarClan. Snowkit always wondered how StarClan might be, up there in the vast blue sky.

Snowkit’s jaws parted in a yawn. Ah, well. It was time for bed now. He stood up and nudged Rainkit inside, but he protested. Snowkit persisted, though, until they were both in the dark nursery. “Go along,” Snowkit tried to say. He hoped Rainkit could understand that. Rainkit watched him for a while before trotting back to his mother and littermates, squeezing between Sorrelkit and Sootkit. Snowkit did the same, lying by Mistlekit and closing his eyes. She was warm, her breathing a little bit shaky, but relatively steady. Snowkit’s tail curled around hers, and he slowly drifted off into sleep.

🦅🦅🦅

The next day, the nursery seemed relatively quiet. Goldenflower had taken Tawnykit and Bramblekit to the ravine with Brightpaw, and Willowpelt’s litter wasn’t doing much. Since Mistlekit usually didn’t have the energy to play, Snowkit had to busy himself with exploring the camp.

The den to the left of the nursery belonged to the warriors. It was usually empty whenever Snowkit went over, but today Longtail was showing Swiftpaw around. By his bright eyes and twitching tail, Snowkit could tell he was excited for Swiftpaw’s warrior ceremony. Darkmoon was sitting beside Fernpaw, his own apprentice, and giving her the look-around too.

Then there was the Highrock. Bluestar’s den was carved out of the side, and was usually covered up by an overhang of lichen. Now that the leader was getting older, she stayed in there more often. Snowkit didn’t know her very well, so he decided not to go inside. Besides, Speckletail told him that Bluestar didn’t let Featherkit become an apprentice because she was deaf, so…he didn’t know if she liked him.

Beside that there was the medicine den, carved out of a cavern. Cinderpelt looked exhausted from her journey to the Moonstone, and her injured back leg was trailing out behind her, too tired to keep it settled like the rest of her haunches. Cinderpelt’s blue eyes lit up when she saw Snowkit, and she got up, limping over to him. Snowkit read her words. “Let’s go to Speckletail, okay?”

Snowkit nodded. He could do that. He scampered back to the nursery, where Speckletail was sharing tongues with Willowpelt. She scowled when Cinderpelt came over. “There’s nothing wrong with my kit,” she growled.

Snowkit sighed. Of course.

“I’m not saying that,” Cinderpelt answered, looking slightly defensive. “We’re just testing him.”

Snowkit raised his paws to sign.  _ I don’t need to be tested. _

Cinderpelt looked puzzled, and Speckletail explained what he said. “And he’s exactly right,” she growled. “My kit is fine.” Snowkit saw Mistlekit’s big amber eyes from her nest, and he sighed. Why did everything have to be so difficult? 

As Cinderpelt and Speckletail argued, Snowkit spotted a dry leaf blowing across camp. Trying to convince the medicine cat that he could do things on his own, the white tom raced to go after it, pouncing on it mid-air. He looked to see Cinderpelt seeming intrigued.

Just then Fireheart padded over, watching Snowkit as he crushed the leaf into little pieces. Snowkit stared up at the deputy and smiled. Fireheart smiled back and dropped a rabbit in front of Cinderpelt. She looked grateful. Cinderpelt glanced at Speckletail and said something to her, then Speckletail snorted. She looked at Snowkit, her tail flicking as she called him over to her. Snowkit abandoned the leaf and trotted over to her.  _ There, _ he thought. 

Cinderpelt nodded. “Good,” she said. Then she said something to Fireheart, and he nodded. The ginger cat strode to the other side of the clearing and stared at Snowkit, saying something.  _ Is he calling me? _ thought Snowkit. Out of the corner of his eye could see other cats watching, and he grew uncomfortable. He didn’t want to seem stupid.

Just then Speckletail nosed him. He turned around to look at her, and she nodded in Fireheart’s direction.  _ Ohh, _ Snowkit thought. Holding his head up high, he went over and stopped in front of Fireheart. 

“Well done,” Fireheart meowed.

Snowkit could finally read his words. “S’all right,” he mumbled.

Fireheart smiled as Snowkit got up and scrambled back to Speckletail. He didn’t like to be watched by everyone in ThunderClan. He put his head between Speckletail’s front legs, trying to stop his face from warming. 

Cinderpelt looked disdainfully at Fireheart, and then said something to Speckletail. “Sorry, but...Snowkit is deaf.”

Snowkit glanced up at his mother.  _ She knows that, _ he thought. _ Right? _

Speckletail snapped something at her, and she flinched. “Don’t you think I know?” she growled. “He’s my own son.”

“Sorry,” Cinderpelt mumbled, sharing another glance with Fireheart.

Snowkit sighed, rolling his eyes as he went into the nursery. He laid down beside Mistlekit, who was giving her fur a good wash.  _ They didn’t know I was deaf. None of them did,  _ he signed with a scowl.

Mistlekit glanced up at him briefly.  _ Kits don’t mean much to them till we become apprentices, _ she answered, mimicking a hunting crouch for the word ‘apprentices.’  _ To them, we don’t even have names. _

Snowkit sighed, scuffing the earth with his paw.  _ I just have to show them I can do things a regular cat can do _ , he signed.  _ Then they’ll believe me.  _ He nudged Mistlekit’s flank.  _ We’ll do it together, right? You and me _ ?

Mistlekit smiled.  _ Yeah. _


	4. Mistlekit

It was another clear day in ThunderClan, and Mistlekit was feeling well enough to sit outside the nursery for a bit, wedged between Goldenflower’s front paws. Tawnykit and Bramblekit, apparently, had decided that they were too old for play and were now following the apprentices around camp. Swiftpaw and Lynxpaw, their older siblings, were happy to teach them how to do a hunting crouch, though. 

Mistlekit’s gaze drifted over to Snowkit. He had been chasing a butterfly, a rare sight in ThunderClan now that there were no flowers. But his claws weren’t out, and he didn’t intend to hurt it. Mistlekit licked a paw, smoothing the fur between her pads down. It was a nice day, and she didn’t want to spend it inside the stuffy nursery like yesterday.

She knew about Cinderpelt and Fireheart’s little experiment they did the other day. She had been watching the whole time. They treated Snowkit like he was a mouse-brain, and she hated it. She just wanted to get up and scream at them, demanding they learn his language so they could see how smart he _really_ was. But she couldn’t yell at the Clan deputy. That would make her look like she was disrespectful, which would paint her whole family in a bad light. 

Rainkit and Sootkit streaked past them all of the sudden, eyes big as they looked around at the camp. “Woah,” Sootkit murmured. “It’s so _large_.” He was the shyest out of his three siblings, and he and Mistlekit got on pretty well. Rainkit and Sorrelkit were a bit too hyper for her taste, though. 

“Come on, let’s go find Darkmoon and ask him to give us a badger ride!” Rainkit mewed. “Sorrelkit, c’mon!”

The tortoiseshell she-cat was smoothing down a patch of fur as she followed her brothers outside. “I don’t know if he can fit all of us!” she fretted. 

“Longtail can help, then,” Rainkit rolled his blue eyes. The three of them raced over to the warrior’s den, their mews sounding high and joyful. Mistlekit envied their healthiness sometimes. If only she could go over to...say, Rubyheart and ask her for a badger ride. But she knew that would only induce a bout of coughing, which she...did not particularly want.

Just then, a shadow fell over the camp. Mistlekit glanced up to see a bird high up in the sky, wings outstretched. “Is that…” she squinted, trying to make sure. 

“Oh, StarClan,” Goldenflower’s voice was low with horror. “ _Hawk_!”

She grabbed Mistlekit’s scruff and practically threw her into the nursery. “Tawnykit, Bramblekit! Get back over here this _instant_!”

The two littermates stared at Goldenflower, terror in their amber and green eyes. They hurtled across camp as yowls of fear sounded amongst the cats. Darkmoon and Longtail tugged Sorrelkit, Rainkit, and Sootkit into the warrior’s den. Mistlekit fought to see over Goldenflower’s side. “Where’s Snowkit?” she cried. “Snowkit!”

“Stay back,” Goldenflower growled. “He’ll be okay.”

Mistlekit’s eyes narrowed as she skidded under the golden tabby’s belly. “No!” she growled, racing out to the entrance. Speckletail streaked past her, amber eyes wide. The hawk was diving for her brother!

“ _Snowkit!”_ Speckletail shrieked, in a vain and desperate attempt to get him to hear her. But it was too late for that. The bird swooped down upon the camp, its talons outstretched. Snowkit saw it at the last moment and tried to outrun it, but he didn’t know where he was going and the bird quickly caught up to him. Mistlekit somehow summoned the strength to race after it. Speckletail’s muscles rippled as she threw herself off the ground, trying to grab her kit away. Mistlekit watched in horror as the hawk’s talons tore through Snowkit’s fur, blood dripping down onto the ground. Speckletail snarled as she tried to wrestle Snowkit away from the hawk. Brackenfur shot from the warrior’s den and leaped up as well, hanging on with all of his strength. But the hawk used one foot to slash through Speckletail’s face, and the she-cat fell to the ground. Brackenfur tried to hold on, but the hawk’s gigantic wings flapped so hard he fell off. “Snowkit!” Mistlekit cried. “Snowkit, _no_!”

Her brother was shrieking, twisting, and turning, but it didn’t seem to be doing anything. The hawk gained speed and passed over the trees, taking Snowkit with it. Brackenfur raced after it, Swiftpaw speeding ahead. All Mistlekit could do was watch the sky in horror. She felt numb...was this even real?

She stared down at her paws, vaguely feeling someone run their tongue through her fur. Her legs buckled as she topped over, lying useless on the ground. Snowkit was...gone. He was gone.

Mistlekit could hear concerned murmuring as the Clan formed a circle around the two of them. All she could see was Snowkit’s bloody fur, and his wide eyes as he cried out for anyone to help him. Hot tears filled Mistlekit’s eyes. _Why couldn’t it have been me?_

Then she started crying, which, of course, led her to cough. 

Cinderpelt nudged her side very gently. “Come now, dear,” she murmured. “Let’s get you inside the medicine den.”

Mistlekit slowly got to her paws, but she couldn’t move. Cinderpelt heaved her up by her scruff anyway and dragged her to the medicine den. Mistlekit’s ears flattened as she tried to keep her mother’s grieved howling away from her. _No. Snowkit can’t be gone, he just can’t. We were supposed to be warriors together...we were supposed to show them all we could do it!_ Panicked thoughts ran through her head as she tried to process what had just happened. It just couldn’t be true.

Inside the medicine den, Mistlekit fell into her usual nest and put her head on her paws as the last few coughs escaped her. Not long afterwards, Brindleface and Cinderpelt tried to herd Speckletail into the den, but she just kept looking over her shoulder at the sky, thinking that maybe by some grace of StarClan that the hawk would bring Snowkit back to her. The second Speckletail and Mistlekit’s gaze met, the spotted tabby queen went over to her kit and circled around her, beginning to sob into Mistlekit’s fur. 

“Don’t worry, dear,” Brindleface attempted to comfort her. “Brackenfur and Swiftpaw might have caught up with it.” But the look in her green eyes told Mistlekit that she didn’t have much hope for that outcome. That just made Speckletail cry harder.

Cinderpelt came over with a folded leaf in her jowls. “Here you go,” she said. “Some poppy seeds. Eat them, and they’ll make you sleep.”

Speckletail lifted her head up and just stared at the black pellets before heaving a sigh and licking them up. “I’ll never have any more kits,” she said, voice broken. “I’m going to join the elders.”

Mistlekit stared at her mother in shock. “What about me?” she said very quietly, as to not set her emotional mother off. 

Speckletail didn’t answer her for a while. “You can stay with Goldenflower. She’s your older sister. She’ll treat you kindly.”

Mistlekit got to her paws, more tears filling her eyes. “You’re _leaving_ me?” Did she ever only love Snowkit? “But I still have two more moons till…”

Brindleface nosed her as Speckletail closed her eyes. “Don’t worry,” she rumbled, green eyes glinting. “Speckletail’s just very upset. I’m sure she doesn’t mean what she’s saying. She’ll wait till you become an apprentice.”

Mistlekit didn’t know if she could believe the gray she-cat. “Come on,” Brindleface nodded. “The sun is going down soon. You’d best be getting to sleep.”

Mistlekit narrowed her eyes. “How do you expect me to go to sleep?” she cried. “My brother is gone!”

Brindleface’s eyes glinted. “I know,” she mumbled. “I know.”

Mistlekit wiped an eye with her paw. “I’m staying with my mother.”

Brindleface nodded. “Okay. I can understand that,” she said. “I’m sorry this had to happen. It’s horrifying.”

Mistlekit lowered her head and curled up in the moss beside Speckletail, blinking away tears. This was the worst day of her life. How would she survive without Snowkit? He had always cleared the clouds away with his joy and optimism. But how could Mistlekit do that by herself? She put her head on her paws. No kit in the nursery could even come _close_ to Snowkit. She wanted her brother...no, she...she needed him.


	5. Snowkit

Snowkit was not going to stop fighting. His legs were burning as he tore his claws through the hawk’s feathers and bit on its legs, but it hung on. Snowkit could still feel the deep scratches through his pelt, and he was losing energy quickly. But he had to get down to the ground, no matter how far he had to fall. 

He didn’t know where the hawk might be taking him, but they were passing over Highstones, and quick. Snowkit had to get out of here. With one last burst of energy, he fastened his jaws around the hawk’s leg and bit down as hard as he possibly could. He felt the hawk falter, and Snowkit took a deep breath. One more should do it. Jaws parting once more, he bit down again, feeling the metallic taste of blood on his tongue. The hawk’s wings beat a few times before Snowkit felt a sudden rift, and all of the sudden he was falling. 

Snowkit could feel the wind surrounding him as he braced for impact. He didn’t know if he was going to survive this. He hurtled through the trees at an unimaginable speed before landing on the ground with an _umph._

Snowkit then rolled down a slope through the leaves and sticks before he finally landed in a watery ditch. Cold puddle water seeped into his fur and made his scratches sting, but he was far too hurt to do anything. Snowkit could feel darkness wash up behind his eyes. Was this what it felt like to die?

Snowkit’s head rolled back and he looked up at the pink sky. The sun was going down. It was probably already nighttime in ThunderClan. Snowkit blinked very slowly and then decided to close his eyes. He couldn’t feel a thing now. Maybe time was up for him.

🦅🦅🦅

Time wasn’t up yet.

Snowkit’s eyes opened wide, and all of the sudden pain was attacking him from all sides. He let out a yowl of pain, shrill as it made his throat burn. Tears filled his eyes as he looked around at his surroundings. It was very dark, but warm, and Snowkit could smell milk and hay all around him. Blinking a few times, Snowkit whimpered a few times. His chest ached badly, and his legs did too, as well as the scratches on his back. He wanted Speckletail.

Snowkit then smelled a strange scent and felt a cold nose gently prodding his side. His eyes were still adjusting to the dark, but beside him he could see a large, heaving shape. It must have been the biggest cat in the world! Snowkit moved back, but winced. Hopefully this cat wasn’t hostile. But they couldn’t be, if they helped Snowkit into this warm place.

More light came into his eyes, and what he saw beside him was definitely not a cat. It had the same sort of shape; it was a short-legged creature with floppy ears, big brown eyes, a long, squarish muzzle, and brown, black, and white patches. Its nose was black and there were no whiskers. It wore some sort of thing around its neck that was checkered in red and white. Snowkit froze as it stared down at him. He tried to figure out what this strange creature might be. It seemed a lot more clumsy than a cat, and its paws were bigger.

Snowkit wondered if it was a dog. Speckletail had described them to him before, and the features seemed to add up. But Snowkit couldn’t be sure. He just watched as the animal got to its paws and left. Snowkit looked around the den he was in. It was dark, with the only light coming in through slivers in the walls. Flakes of dust floated down through them. _A barn?_ thought Snowkit slowly. He took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in his chest. Memories of what happened were coming back to him...he’d been taken from camp by a hawk, and then...it had dropped him? Snowkit could still see Mistlekit’s horrified amber eyes staring up at him. He winced. If only he could tell her he was okay. 

The animal came back and began running its course tongue through Snowkit’s fur. Aches bloomed all over his side, and he moved away. The dog (at least, that’s what Snowkit thought it was) kept persisting, though. Its breath was warm against Snowkit’s fur, and he let himself relax for a bit. Maybe this dog wouldn’t be so bad. But he knew from Speckletail’s stories that most dogs were hostile to cats. So why was this one so kind to him?

Snowkit cleared his throat and attempted to speak. “D-do you…” He cleared his throat. “Uhm…”

The dog stared at him for a while. 

“S-sorry,” Snowkit mumbled, breath wheezing in his chest. He knew he sounded odd and distorted. “I’m d-deaf.”

The dog used one of its paws to touch its ear and tilted his head.

Snowkit nodded. 

The dog stood up and gave him another rough lick, tail wagging as it trotted off. Snowkit wondered where it might be going. He was feeling good enough to roll back onto his belly, very gently situating his paws underneath him. He felt something unnaturally poking out underneath his fur, and it hurt to touch. One of his ribs, maybe?

The dog returned, and this time Snowkit could smell another scent. He spotted a ginger tabby cat padding along next to the dog, saying something to it. Snowkit squinted, trying to see what it was saying. It was a fluffy, plump tom, and he settled beside him. “So it’s deaf?” he meowed to the dog. It nodded in reply.

Snowkit blinked slowly, trying to show the cat it meant no harm. He didn’t want to seem like he was marking all over its territory. The cat just gave him a pleasant smile. “I know you can’t hear me, but my name’s Caramel.”

Snowkit nodded, though he wasn’t familiar with the last word.

Caramel’s warm yellow eyes glinted. “Who are you?”

Snowkit knew he had to talk, so he went slowly. “Snow...kit.”

“Snowkit?” Caramel exchanged a glance with the dog. “Strange name. This is Rooster.”

Snowkit stared over at the dog. Its tail was still wagging. 

Caramel’s tail flicked, beckoning Snowkit’s attention back to him. “Roo here found you lying in a ditch yesterday evening,” he explained slowly. “You were very hurt and close to dying. So we brought you back here, and...well...you’re alive.”

Snowkit smiled gratefully and nodded in thanks.

Caramel got to his paws. “Don’t mention it,” he said, though Snowkit wasn’t sure based on how his striped head was turned. “We’ll bring you something to eat. Just try and rest up.”

Snowkit’s blue eyes flashed. _But I have to get back to my family,_ he thought. _Maybe I can tell them later._ He watched as the two of them left the barn through a crevice in the side. He lowered his head a bit to see rolling mountains on the horizon, and he sighed. There was no way he could cross those all by himself, especially at his health. But Snowkit narrowed his eyes, thinking of Mistlekit and Speckletail. They probably missed him so bad. Snowkit decided that the second he was able to, he’d get up and set out for ThunderClan. He just had to.


	6. Mistlekit

Mistlekit watched as rain poured down in sheets in front of the nursery. It was a quiet day as everybody tried to figure out what had just happened. Mistlekit couldn’t get the memory of Snowkit’s shrieking out of her head, and it was making her sick. Physically and mentally.

Speckletail had gone through with it and moved to the elder’s den. Mistlekit didn’t know how she felt about that. Of course, she missed her mother, but it had only been a day since Snowkit was taken away, and Speckletail’s mind was still struggling to have a firm grip on her reality. Mistlekit refused to believe Snowkit was dead, anyway. It wasn’t like him to just give up like that.

“Where did Snowkit go?” Sorrelkit’s quiet mew came from Willowpelt’s nest.

Willowpelt didn’t answer her and just held her closer. Mistlekit winced.

If Snowkit wasn’t dead...where was he? Why hadn’t he come back yet? Mistlekit buried her head in her paws and sighed shakily. She kept looking up at the sky or at the camp entrance, hoping he might drag himself in and return to her like he should be.

Mistlekit blinked the tears out of her eyes. But if the hawk had dropped Snowkit, then he might be hurt. He might be trying to get back, but...nobody was there to help him. Mistlekit’s amber eyes glinted. 

She had to find Snowkit.

Mistlekit looked over her shoulder all of the sudden, as if she was shocked by her own idea. Goldenflower was asleep with Tawnykit and Bramblekit on top of each other by her flank. Willowpelt had Sorrelkit between her front legs as Rainkit and Sootkit were wrestling, but they didn’t seem very into it. Brindleface, near the back, was running her tongue through her flecked gray fur. Would they even notice if Mistlekit was gone? She knew it would be terrifying for them when they finally did realize she’d left, but...how could she assure them she’d be alright without having them keep her from going to find Snowkit? Besides, they would probably just tell her Snowkit was dead. Mistlekit’s small claws came out, and she narrowed her eyes. Snowkit  _ wasn’t _ dead.

She looked around camp. There were only a few cats there. A few shapeless silhouettes in the warrior’s den, and Lynxpaw’s dappled head was sticking out of the ferns in the apprentice’s den. She looked bored. Mistlekit wondered if Lynxpaw might be able to help her on her way along. She needed a cat to keep her safe, and Lynxpaw wasn’t too unfriendly. But she might not be comfortable with leaving Swiftpaw.

All of the sudden, Cherrydrop broke through the bramble wall, hauling a sizable rabbit behind her. Cherrydrop could be a good candidate...she didn’t have much going on now anyway. Her potential as a warrior had yet to be unlocked. But there were so many good cats Mistlekit could ask. That didn’t mean all of them would say yes, though.

Cinderpelt limped out of the medicine den, her back leg faltering every time she put weight on it. Mistlekit got to her paws, knowing what the gray she-cat was here for. “It’s time for your breathing exercises,” Cinderpelt’s blue eyes glowed, and Mistlekit looked away. They reminded her of Snowkit. “Come on.”

Mistlekit followed behind Cinderpelt, her pelt getting drenched by rain. Every quarter-moon Mistlekit had to go into the medicine den as Cinderpelt tried to steady her breathing. It may have sounded bitter, but she liked having only Cinderpelt do it now. Yellowfang was always too rough, wanting to rush along and get to the next thing, but by the glint in her eyes Mistlekit knew she cared. Cinderpelt was always gentle, anyway.

“Okay,” Cinderpelt mewed brightly as Mistlekit settled down in a nest. “I haven’t gotten any juniper berries since it’s raining, so we’re going to have to make do with coltsfoot.” The medicine cat dragged a yellow plant off of her herb shelves. “Go ahead and chew on that.”

Mistlekit licked up the petals and chewed them. They were bitter, as most herbs were, but Mistlekit had learned to choke them down by now. Cinderpelt settled next to her and put her cold paw pad on Mistlekit’s back. “Take a deep breath,” she instructed. Mistlekit did as she was told, trying to make her breathing as steady as possible. “In...and out. In...and out. One more time.”

Mistlekit took a few more breaths and glanced up Cinderpelt. She always thought the gray she-cat might give her good news, but it was always the same. “Well...your asthma has persisted, I’m noticing, but that’s nothing some good old herbs can’t ease,” she said. “I know you were ill before the fire happened, but I think that was the cause of your asthma mainly.”

“Yeah, I know,” Mistlekit answered. She glanced up, expecting to see Speckletail, who usually came with her to these sessions. But her mother wasn’t there, and Mistlekit lowered her head. She kept forgetting.

Cinderpelt appeared beside her and crouched down. “How have you been today?” she said softly. “Are you okay?”

Mistlekit nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

Cinderpelt tilted her head. “You know you can always come to me with problems,” she said. “I’m no stranger to hardship.” 

“I know,” Mistlekit answered.

Cinderpelt sighed. “I know you might feel lonely today, with Speckletail in the elder’s den, but...she might come back,” she mewed. “You can stay with me today if you’d like.”

Mistlekit looked gratefully up at the medicine cat. “Thanks.”

“No problem!” Cinderpelt smiled. “We make a good team, you and I.”

Mistlekit sighed, licking a paw pad as Cinderpelt went over to retrieve some herbs. She knew Cinderpelt was expecting her to become her apprentice, but Mistlekit had never wanted to. Now that Snowkit was gone, though…

Mistlekit shook her head.  _ No. He’s not gone! _

She watched Cinderpelt reach down to give her mangled leg a good groom. It was oddly twisted, with dark, worn scars circling around it, and the way it jutted out at such an odd angle made Mistlekit’s fur crawl. Even the paw pads were cracked permanently. Mistlekit didn’t know how Cinderpelt even got around. 

“Does it hurt?” she blurted, and then immediately cursed herself.

Cinderpelt glanced up, alert. “Huh?”

Mistlekit stared at her, wondering if she should go through with her question.  _ Ah, well. It’ll bug me for a while if I don’t ask. _ “Does it hurt? You know...your leg?”

Cinderpelt peered down at it, like she had forgotten it was there. “Oh!” She laughed to herself. “Um...not really. But that’s only because it’s been seasons since the accident. Sometimes it’ll ache on the way back from the Moonstone, though. That’s when it gets really bad.” She shrugged as she began sorting her herbs. “But if it gets too much to bear, I’ll grab some poppy seeds on the way home. Usually rests sort everything out, though.”

Mistlekit could see the hollow look in Cinderpelt’s eyes, though. She didn’t want to intrude further, but she padded forward and sat beside the gray she-cat. “You’re fast,” she commented.

Cinderpelt smiled. “Yeah, well...I’ve had practice.”

“How long have you been a medicine cat for?”

Cinderpelt hummed in thought. “About...three leaf-bares.”

“Is that a long time?”

Cinderpelt nodded. “A pretty long time.” Her whiskers twitched. “Why?”

Mistlekit shrugged. “Oh, I dunno,” she mumbled, rocking back and forth. “I guess you have a lot of experience, then.”

Cinderpelt paused. “Yeah.”

“Do you ever...y’know...regret the path you chose?”

Cinderpelt’s gaze snapped up to the den wall, and Mistlekit flinched. The gray cat looked startled for a moment, and her eyes flashed before she blinked a few times. “Uh…” she trailed off. “Sorry.”

Mistlekit stared at her for a while. “Are you okay?”

Cinderpelt nodded quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she shrugged. “I just...when cats ask me those sort of... _ heavy  _ questions, I get weird feelings.” She sighed, giving her chest fur a lick. “But anyways. Sometimes I regret it, sometimes I don’t. But I didn’t really choose it, though.”

“You didn’t?”

Cinderpelt scoffed, but at no one in particular. “No. My two choices were either medicine den or elder’s den. And I wanted to be of  _ some _ use to the Clan, so…” She looked around the den. “I ended up here.”

Mistlekit stared at her paws. “Why wouldn’t they let you be a warrior?”

Cinderpelt lowered her head. “I was very hurt at the time. My future wasn’t looking bright, if I would even have one. Especially since I was on the verge of death. At the  _ time _ , nobody thought I would ever walk again. But now that my injury is healed, I can do most things a warrior can.”

“So why don’t you become one?” Mistlekit asked, tilting her head.

Cinderpelt shrugged. “Well, because...who else would heal the Clan?” she mewed. “And besides, I want to honor Yellowfang’s memory by using all the things she taught me. I’d feel bad throwing all that away.”

Mistlekit stared up at Cinderpelt. The dark gray she-cat was incredibly compassionate and considerate. Mistlekit looked up to her. She wished she might be able to take Cinderpelt with her on her journey, but based on what she’d told her, Cinderpelt would only make it to Highstones before her leg would start hurting. And Mistlekit had no idea if Snowkit had passed Highstones or not.

So...Lynxpaw and Cherrydrop? They might be able to leave their duties behind and help her find her missing brother. They both had brothers...they could understand.  _ So them, _ Mistlekit thought as she nodded. She’d get them to meet with her that night and propose the idea to them. She just hoped they’d say yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the positive comments so far! I love seeing them. Also thanks to Depthsofthemind for helping me come up with some ideas for Mistlekit's health problems! 🍋


	7. Snowkit

Snowkit woke up the next morning feeling pretty well-rested. Rooster and Caramel had dragged a soft, comfortable thing called a blanket inside the barn for him to sleep on. He was still in pain, but it had lessened a little bit today. Snowkit began to half-heartedly wash his fur, going around the bone that was poking out at an odd angle. He was sure it was one of his ribs now, but he didn’t know how to fix it. 

He looked around the barn. Rooster was curled up by the entrance to the den, keeping guard. Caramel was up in the rafters, striped tail swinging back and forth. Snowkit stared at him in awe, wondering how he got up so high. 

Caramel’s gaze caught his, and he smiled warmly. Snowkit did the same. Then he watched as Caramel got up, stretched, and padded across a wood beam before jumping down into the hay. His striped head popped up, and he shook the straw out before going over to Snowkit. “How are you?” he said slowly, knowing Snowkit could only read lips if he was talking gradually. 

Snowkit shrugged and moved his paw back and forth.  _ So-so. _

Caramel looked impressed at his sign language. “Is that how you talk?”

Snowkit nodded. 

Caramel glanced back at Rooster. The morning light was coming in through the cracks in the wall. It made it seem like the dog’s fur was glowing. “Our Twolegs come into the barn every so often,” Caramel told Snowkit. “But they won’t hurt you when they find you. They’ll just make you feel better.”

Snowkit’s fur ruffled.  _ Twolegs? _ he signed, hoping Caramel would get it.

“Yeah,” the tom shrugged. “I thought you were a housecat.”

Snowkit shook his head. 

Caramel’s yellow eyes grew wide. “You’re a  _ wild cat _ ?”

Snowkit nodded.

Caramel tilted his head. “Well, you’re just a kitten,” he said. “But your parents are probably pretty fierce, right?”

Snowkit shrugged.  _ When they want to be. _

Just then a dark shadow blocked the light coming in the barn. Snowkit glanced up at its source. It was a very tall, pale creature that stood on its back legs. It had some sort of oddly-colored fur over its skin and the only real fur on its head. “There’s one of our Twolegs,” Caramel said before going over to it. The Twoleg patted Caramel’s head as the tom rubbed his head up against its leg. Snowkit lowered his head. He’d never seen a Twoleg before. It was definitely as strange as Snowkit imagined it.

The Twoleg ambled around a little bit as Rooster and Caramel weaved around it. It grabbed some hay off the shelves and looked around for something. It got closer and closer to Snowkit, and the white kit could feel its heavy footsteps on the wooden floor. He was practically shaking by the time the Twoleg finally spotted him. Very gently, it lifted him up, but it didn’t hurt him. It felt around the bone that was poking out, and then it reached down, wrapped him in the blanket, and took him away.

Snowkit just watched it with wide eyes as it took him outside. He squinted when the morning sun flashed around him. The mountains surrounded him, and he shivered as a chill went through the air. The Twoleg didn’t seem like it would hurt him. He saw Rooster pelt out from beside him. The dog’s jaws parted as he made a loud noise. Caramel ran after Rooster, tackling him. The two of them play-wrestled for a while before Caramel got off and padded up onto a wooden platform. They were going into another barn, but this one seemed a lot nicer. Snowkit vaguely remembered Speckletail telling him that Twolegs lived in dens called ‘houses.’ Was this one of those?

Snowkit flinched as the Twoleg’s body vibrated. He glanced up to see its mouth open; it was talking, and quickly, too. There was no hope of him ever deciphering what it was saying. Before he knew it another Twoleg came over. This time, the fur on the top of its head was lighter. The two of them stared down at Snowkit and said things to each other, like they were debating. Then the male Twoleg pulled down the blanket, and Snowkit’s broken rib was revealed. The female looked shocked, and then nodded. The fight was over.

The male laid Snowkit down on a cold surface. He had a ring of white leaves in his hand, and he gently wrapped them around Snowkit’s injuries. Snowkit let out a pained yowl as it got to his rib. But the Twoleg persisted and wrapped the leaves tightly around his chest. Snowkit felt like all of his ribs were breaking, and he was breathing heavily. 

The Twoleg returned with some white water in a dish. Snowkit sniffed it, and it smelled alright. Very hesitantly, he began to lick it up. It was milk! And it was sweet, too, unlike Speckletail’s bitter milk. He drank as much as he could before he started feeling drowsy.

The Twoleg ran its paw over Snowkit’s head, and he blinked slowly, trying not to fall asleep. But it was too gravitating, and before he knew it, he was out.

🦅🦅🦅

Snowkit was soaring.

He felt a cold flush as he glanced up. The hawk’s broad wings were over his head, flapping as it took him over Highstones. A shriek fell from Snowkit’s mouth as he struggled to fall from the bird’s talons, but it held on tighter than ever before. Snowkit fell limp, knowing it was useless to fight. How could this have happened again? 

Suddenly, the bird’s beak swooped down at his face. Snowkit moved back, his fur ruffling in panic. But the hawk persisted in its plucking. Snowkit squirmed and wiggled away as the hawk’s beak came inches from his eyes. He ducked his head low, closing his eyes tight so the hawk couldn’t hurt them. He didn’t feel anything for a while, so he decided it was okay to look up again. 

But when he did, he saw one of his eyes, blood-soaked, in the hawk’s beak. Terror pulsed through his body, and he screamed.

All of the sudden, he was falling. The hawk had let go! Snowkit looked toward the earth again, the wind battering his white fur as he got closer and closer to the ground until...

🦅🦅🦅

Snowkit woke up with a jolt. His heart was pounding and his fur was sticking out in odd places. He took a moment to reload...he was safe. He was okay. 

He looked around. He was in a dark den, but not the barn. It smelled like the Twolegs in here. He was surrounded by blankets, and he was covered in the same white leaves. His whiskers twitched as he smelled something familiar. He rolled over to see Caramel sitting beside him, paws tucked underneath his chest. When he saw Snowkit awake, his yellow eyes lit up. “There you are!” he said. “You were asleep for a while.”

Snowkit just shrugged and began licking down his fur.

Caramel cocked his head. “You were fidgeting. Had a nightmare?”

Snowkit nodded. 

“Do you feel very much pain?”

Snowkit shook his head. He was feeling alright, just a little achy. 

“Good,” mewed Caramel. He began grooming the fur between Snowkit’s ears, and the white tom half-closed his eyes. He was grateful for Caramel’s help. He let a soft purr rumble in his throat, and he felt Caramel return it. Maybe...before Snowkit returned home to ThunderClan, he and Caramel could be friends.


	8. Mistlekit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Treatin' y'all with an extra long chapter today 🍋

Mistlekit stood behind the nursery, waiting for Cherrydrop and Lynxpaw to arrive. She was uneasy and nervous...she knew she would probably look like a foolish kit for wanting to go across Highstones and find her brother. But she didn’t care. He wasn’t dead. She could feel it.

Lynxpaw and Cherrydrop rounded the corner, looking at each other with hesitation. “Oh, thank goodness you came,” Mistlekit sighed in relief. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t turn up.”

“You shouldn’t be up so late, little one,” Cherrydrop said. “It’s almost moonhigh.”

“I’m not tired,” Mistlekit insisted, stifling a yawn.

“So what’re we here for?” Lynxpaw meowed. “Mossflower won’t like it if I’m tired tomorrow morning. I’m going to have another assessment!” 

“Okay, okay,” Mistlekit held up one of her white paws. “Fine. I...I called you both here because...well, I know Snowkit isn’t dead. And I want you two to help me find him.” She stared down at the ground, not wanting to see the two she-cat’s reactions. 

“Mistlekit...he’s…” Lynxpaw paused. “He is dead. Even if the hawk dropped him...the impact…”

“No!” Mistlekit yowled, and then lowered her voice. “No, he’s not! I can feel him alive...I  _ know _ he is. I don’t know, it’s like we have some sort of littermate connection, but I know Snowkit well enough...he wouldn’t just let himself die!”

Cherrydrop and Lynxpaw didn’t look convinced, so Mistlekit continued. “Could you imagine if that happened to Swiftpaw?” she said to Lynxpaw. “You would  _ know _ he was still alive, because it wouldn’t be like him to die. Or if that happened to Dustpelt, Cherrydrop? You would want someone to help you.”

Lynxpaw lowered her head. “I guess you’re right.”

“But how would we even know where to go?” Cherrydrop said. 

“Brackenfur said he spotted the hawk going towards Highstones when they were chasing it,” Mistlekit replied. “We can go towards Highstones and search for him along the way.”

“What if we don’t find him, though?” Lynxpaw said. “What if we spend a moon away from ThunderClan, and...and he doesn’t even turn up?”

Mistlekit rocked back and forth. She hadn’t even thought about that. Cherrydrop and Lynxpaw were needed around ThunderClan, and Mistlekit...well, Mistlekit wasn’t. “I’ll make sure we aren’t away for long,” she said after a while of thought. “If a moon passes by and we don’t find Snowkit, we can go back.”

Cherrydrop sighed. “I should say no,” she murmured, shaking her head. “But I can’t stop thinking if that happened to Dustpelt or Ravenpaw…” Her green eyes narrowed. “I’ll go. But only a moon away, nothing more, nothing less.”

Mistlekit’s heart swelled with joy, and she looked to Lynxpaw. The golden tortoiseshell sighed in defeat. “Alright, fine. I’ll go. When do we set off?”

“Tomorrow morning, before anyone gets up,” Mistlekit said. 

“Alright,” Cherrydrop said. “No more dilly-dallying. Come on, let’s all get some rest. The sunrise will come soon, and we don’t want to be tired.”

Lynxpaw’s eyes glinted with uneasiness, but she followed Cherrydrop back to the middle of camp. The two of them turned off into their own separate dens, and Mistlekit padded into the nursery. She fell beside Tawnykit and Bramblekit, tucking her paws underneath her. Her amber gaze drifted up to the moon and glittering stars.  _ Tomorrow, Snowkit, _ she thought.  _ Tomorrow I’ll set out to find you. I just hope you’ll wait for me. _

🦅🦅🦅

Someone was nudging Mistlekit. 

She grunted and groaned, slowly opening her eyes and looking up. The nursery was bathed in a deep orange light. The sun was coming up! She glanced up to see Cherrydrop and Lynxpaw standing over her. Their fur was freshly groomed and eyes alight with determination. “Wake up, it’s time to go,” Cherrydrop whispered. 

Mistlekit slowly dragged herself to her paws and looked over her shoulder. Everyone else was still asleep. “Okay,” she sighed. “Let me get some coltsfoot from the medicine den first, though. It helps me breathe.”

Cherrydrop and Lynxpaw waited outside as Mistlekit very quietly trotted into the medicine den. Cinderpelt was curled up in her moss nest, her leg sticking out from under her. She usually slept pretty hard, so Mistlekit was able to pull the yellow plants off the herb shelf with no trouble. She left a little bit there, just in case one of the elders was having breathing problems. Then she slowly slid outside, tucking the coltsfoot behind her ear. 

“Okay,” Lynxpaw whispered. “Are we ready?”

“Yep,” Cherrydrop answered. “Come on, let’s go. The day’s a-wasting.”

The three she-cats pulled themselves out of the bramble wall. The forest was covered in dawn light. Mistlekit had been outside of camp before, but it was in the middle of the day. This...this was glorious! Energy flowed through her like a raging river. She was going to do this!

“Okay. We’re going towards Highstones...so that means...that way!” Cherrydrop turned around. “We’ll probably have to pass through a little ShadowClan territory, though. And we’ll have to go over the Thunderpath.”

“The Thunderpath?” Mistlekit repeated. She thought of Cinderpelt’s hind leg and shuddered. “Is it safe?”

“It’s morning. No monsters are awake around this time,” Cherrydrop replied. “Besides, we can carry you across.”

Mistlekit lifted her head a bit higher, but she only came up to Cherrydrop’s flank. “No, I can...I can cross by myself!” she insisted. “You don’t need to carry me anywhere. I’m almost apprentice age, after all.”

“I thought you were two moons away,” Lynxpaw said.

“One, once we come back!” Mistlekit mewed. “I wonder who my mentor will be.”

“Maybe it’ll be one of Mossflower’s litter,” Lynxpaw said. “It probably will. Then we can train together…but hopefully I’ll be a warrior by then!”

“Why’s Bluestar stopping your ceremony?” Cherrydrop asked. 

Lynxpaw shrugged. “She’s gone a little nutty recently!”

“Don’t say that,” Cherrydrop said sternly. “Her mind is just...a little  _ loose _ nowadays.”

“Mossflower said she called us traitors!”

“Doesn’t she trust her own daughter, though?” Mistlekit said.

Lynxpaw closed her eyes. “I would think so. But she hasn’t shown me or Mossflower any special treatment. Not even Whitestorm or Brightpaw, either! Me and Brightpaw will show her, though.” 

They were passing by the biggest tree Mistlekit had ever seen. It towered over her head, its long, thick branches stretching out in the sun. It was showered in new, wide green leaves. Had it even been touched by the fire? “What is  _ that _ ?” Mistlekit gaped.

“It’s the Owl Tree,” Cherrydrop replied, her tail flicking back and forth. “You should see it at the height of greenleaf. It’s gorgeous!”

Mistlekit couldn’t stop staring. She didn’t know how it could be any more beautiful than it was now. She made a promise that when she was an apprentice, she’d spend as much time as she could there. She wondered if the Clan would let her make a den out of the tree’s strong branches. She could be with the birds. 

“We’re approaching the Thunderpath now,” Cherrydrop announced once they’d passed the Owl Tree. Mistlekit kept looking over her shoulder, hoping she would be able to see the magnificent tree over the horizon. But she turned her attention back to the scenery ahead. There were some scraggly-looking bushes all in a row, and Mistlekit could smell something sour. She wrinkled her nose. “Eww.”

“That’s something called  _ gas _ ,” Lynxpaw said. “It’s like blood for cars.”

“Why does it smell so awful?” Mistlekit asked.

Lynxpaw shrugged. “Just does.”

Cherrydrop poked her head through the shrubs, whiskers twitching as she took a few tentative steps out. Her ears were perked, and she looked back and forth. “Okay. I think we’re alright to cross,” she said. “Quickly, quickly.”

She began hurrying across the dark rock, Lynxpaw following briskly. Mistlekit went after them, her heart fluttering in her chest as she crossed. The Thunderpath was hot underneath her pads, and she could feel it rumble a bit. “Go!” Lynxpaw cried from the other side. Mistlekit kept going and landed in the grass, relieved. “You can’t pause on the Thunderpath. You could be hit at any time.”

_ Doesn’t she think I know that? _ Mistlekit thought.

They followed along the edge of the Thunderpath for a while. The ground was rough and coarse, and Mistlekit missed the soft grass. Now the sun was coming up over Highstones, shining brilliantly. Mistlekit wondered if Snowkit was seeing the same thing.

“Here’s the ShadowClan border,” Cherrydrop announced as they began walking into some tall grass. “Just try and stay quiet. We’ll be out in a moment.”

The three she-cats moved along, stepping lightly as to not leave their scents all over the place. Mistlekit kept thinking she was seeing cats standing in the woods, watching them, but she couldn’t be sure. They finally emerged from the grass, and Mistlekit shook the strands out of her striped fur.

Then they came to another Thunderpath. Mistlekit knew how to cross it now, and she followed quickly beside Lynxpaw, her eyes wide open for monsters. As they approached a field, Mistlekit could hear a strange noise coming from far away. “What is that?” she mewed.

“It’s a dog barking,” Cherrydrop replied. “Don’t worry. It’s probably not loose.”

“Are you sure?” Mistlekit said. She’d only heard bad things about dogs.

“Yes, it’ll be fine.”

They kept going on, passing by the dog. But the barking got closer and closer, and Mistlekit’s fur prickled. Cherrydrop and Lynxpaw were quiet, and all of the sudden the oldest warrior paused. “Keep low,” hissed Cherrydrop. Mistlekit’s eyes were wide open, and she couldn’t help but shake a little. 

Suddenly, a large brown animal shot from the grass, jaws snapping in the air. Mistlekit couldn’t help but let out a yowl of terror. “Run!” Cherrydrop screeched. She and Lynxpaw took off, but Mistlekit was frozen. The dog’s jaws snapped at her tail, and Mistlekit stared up at it with wide eyes. 

Suddenly she felt teeth on her scruff and she was being hauled through the grass. “Mistlekit, come on!” Lynxpaw growled. Mistlekit finally unfroze and began bounding alongside the tortoiseshell apprentice as the dog tore after them. Its barks stung Mistlekit’s ears, and she kept running as fast as she could possibly go. Suddenly, Lynxpaw tripped on an upturned stone and tumbled into a dip in the road. At the same time Cherrydrop poked her head out of the grass, grabbed Mistlekit’s scruff, and threw her into a hidden spot.

Mistlekit panted, her breath wheezing. All of the sudden she started to cough, each one wracking her body. She contemplated eating the coltsfoot but knew she had to save some for later. She tried to take deep breaths and stop the coughs. She watched through the strands as Cherrydrop ran off course, leading the dog to her. Lynxpaw laid in the dip, still except for her breathing. Mistlekit sighed in relief. She was alive, thankfully. But she would probably be wounded.

It felt like a long time before Cherrydrop finally returned. The dog wasn’t on her tail anymore, but her fur was ruffled and she looked exhausted. “Mistlekit?” she called. “Where are you?”

Slowly, the brown tabby she-kit prowled out of the grass. “I’m here.”

The two of them went over to Lynxpaw. “Help me carry her,” Cherrydrop mewed. “We need to get out of this field before the dog finds us.” With a grunt of effort, the warrior hauled Lynxpaw over her back. Mistlekit padded after her. 

“Are you okay?” she mewed. “Did the dog hurt you?”

Cherrydrop shook her head. “No, but it got close.” As they walked along, a pained groan rumbled from Lynxpaw’s throat. Mistlekit gave her a pitying glance. She felt awful. She’d just wanted to find her brother, but in the first few hours they had already run into trouble. Her tail dragged in the dust. Maybe she should have just gone on her own.

They got to the edge of a field under a cluster of trees where Cherrydrop finally laid Lynxpaw down in a patch of grass. Lynxpaw’s eyes were half-open as she looked around. Cherrydrop searched the young she-cat for any wounds. “Are you alright?” she mewed. “Where does it hurt?”

Lynxpaw nudged her paw, which was lying limp on the ground. Mistlekit gently turned it over. There was a long crack in her pad, and there was some blood coming out. “Don’t worry, it’s just a cracked pad!” she said. “Nothing to fret over.” 

“But none of us are medicine cats,” Cherrydrop pointed out. “What do we do?”

Mistlekit hummed in thought. She remembered one night when she was in the medicine den...Brackenfur had come in with a cracked paw pad! But what did Cinderpelt give him…? It was a small plant with white petals. “Uh…” Mistlekit’s eyes lit up. “Yarrow, that’s it!”

“Yarrow? The plant?” Cherrydrop replied. 

“Yeah! You chew it up and then put in on a paw pad,” Mistlekit replied. “But where would we find some…?” 

“There was some by Snakerocks,” Cherrydrop said. “I remember that.”

“So that means...dry places,” Mistlekit responded. “Well...where is a dry place?”

“We could go by ShadowClan and get some,” Cherrydrop suggested, “but that would mean crossing the field again.”

“Maybe I can look around here,” Mistlekit suggested. 

“Okay,” Cherrydrop agreed. “Sure. But don’t go far.”

Mistlekit began looking around the cluster of trees, trying to find dusty and dry places. She strayed away from roots, knowing they would need lots of water, so it wouldn’t be there. She remembered what the plant smelled like...tangy but with a sweet hint. She opened her mouth, trying to take in the smell. She got as far away from the grass as possible before she spotted a few waving stems underneath a bush. White petals on the end...yes! There’s yarrow!

Mistlekit went over and grabbed the yarrow by its stems. She knew it would cause cats to vomit out toxins, Cinderpelt had told her that. She grabbed it out of the ground and trotted back to Cherrydrop and Lynxpaw. “Found some!” she mewed.

Lynxpaw watched as Mistlekit set the yarrow on the ground and mushed it up. Then she chewed some of it, but made sure not to swallow. After that she spit it out onto her paw and smoothed it over Lynxpaw’s cracked pad, making sure it got everywhere. “There we go. It should start feeling better soon.”

Lynxpaw looked down at her paw, eyes glittering. “Wow,” she said. “You’re like...a real medicine cat, right?”

Mistlekit’s fur warmed with pride. “I guess so.” It  _ did _ feel good to make Lynxpaw feel better. She felt...fulfilled. Maybe she did want to be a medicine cat.

“Well, I’m starving!” Cherrydrop said, getting to her small paws. “I’ll go hunt. You and Lynxpaw stay here.”

Mistlekit watched as the white, brown, and ginger she-cat trotted off, tail flicking back and forth. She sat down beside Lynxpaw and sighed. So...it wasn’t the greatest start to their journey, but at least Mistlekit had been able to heal Lynxpaw’s pad. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if she could remember what Cinderpelt taught her. But she couldn’t be sure.


	9. Snowkit

Snowkit tentatively padded outside the Twoleg house, his paw pads used to soft blankets and carpet. His blue gaze scanned the clear sky, and his pelt prickled. He didn’t see any birds. But they could always be lying in wait. 

He watched as Rooster shot out from beside him, his thin tail wagging back and forth and his massive, clumsy paws making rhythmic thumping on the ground. Snowkit didn’t get how Rooster could just run through the grass with no hesitation like that. He caught Caramel’s scent not far off. The ginger tabby was curling up on the front porch, enjoying the sunlight bathing the area.

Snowkit slowly trotted after Rooster. Not only was he wary of birds, he was also not entirely healed yet. Sure, he felt stronger with each passing day, but the space around his broken rib was still sore, and he still felt fatigued a lot easier. He didn’t know how he was going to make it back to ThunderClan in his shape. He didn’t want to wait any longer. Even though Caramel, Rooster, and the Twolegs were kind, he wanted Speckletail and Mistlekit more.

Snowkit’s whiskers twitched as he turned his gaze to the vast horizon. Mountains still surrounded him, but very far off, he could see the plains and a speck of forest. His pelt warmed. His family was there.  _ I’ll make it back to you. _

Snowkit suddenly felt the wind tug him along. Paws moving more swiftly, he followed behind Rooster. The dog was running down a well-beaten path down the slope, tail wagging back and forth. He kept looking over his shoulder to see if Snowkit was following.  _ He’s taking me somewhere, _ Snowkit realized.

Rooster picked up speed, but Snowkit didn’t. They eventually got down to the bottom of the hill, and Snowkit could smell water. Stepping ahead tentatively, he saw a glistening stream up ahead of them. But it was wider than a stream...was it...a  _ river? _ Snowkit crouched beside it and took a few laps of the water. But now that he was accustomed to the pristine Twoleg water, it tasted a lot worse. Snowkit leaned forward to see how far the river stretched. It seemed to go on forever. 

Then his blue eyes lit up. Maybe...just maybe...it was the same river back in the forest! His tail flicked back and forth like Rooster’s. Could he follow it back to his family? Maybe! He couldn’t help but smile and let out a happy meow.

Suddenly Rooster nudged his shoulder, and Snowkit followed his gaze. Downriver there was a lean, ginger animal stalking along. Its narrowed yellow eyes were sharp and its muzzle was pointy. It sort of looked like a cat. Snowkit gave Rooster an inquisitive glance. 

His ears perked, and he began to snarl. Snowkit scurried behind him, eyes wide. Was it a fox? Speckletail had told him about the danger of those before. Snowkit shivered. Rooster could protect him, right?

The fox glanced over the river at them and growled back, the fur along its spine raising.  _ Don’t make it mad!  _ Snowkit looked over his shoulder, wondering if he should go back. But he couldn’t let Rooster fight alone.

Suddenly, he felt something hit against his flank, and his head whirled back around. The fox was across the river now...it had pounced on Rooster! Snowkit yowled and jumped back. The fox wasn’t much bigger than Rooster, but it was fighting fiercely. Snowkit watched in horror as its jaws nearly snapped over Rooster’s neck. Luckily he had the collar to protect him. But if he didn’t…

Snowkit narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t let his friend fight alone, after all he’d done for him. Shaking out his white pelt and unsheathing his claws, Snowkit approached the fox from behind and launched himself onto its back, using his teeth to grab onto its spine. The fox whirled around, claws swiping at Snowkit as he rolled down onto his back. His chest ached, and he was stunned. He glanced up, narrowly avoiding the fox’s snapping jowls. Rooster then tackled it from the side and grabbed onto his neck, though he didn’t use his teeth. The fox’s back legs shot up and clawed at Rooster’s belly. The beagle stumbled back as the fox got up and shot away, tail low in surrender. 

Snowkit had to catch his breath for a moment. There were some scratches on Rooster’s belly, but they weren’t bleeding heavily. Snowkit padded towards him and nudged his side, so he laid down. He began licking his injuries, but Rooster didn’t let him do it for long before he took over. 

_ We should go back to Caramel now, _ Snowkit thought. He nodded toward the way they had come, so Rooster led the way. Snowkit glanced back for a moment, making sure the fox wasn’t going to follow. He puffed his chest out a bit. He’d fought a  _ fox! _ Wait till Speckletail and Mistlekit heard about  _ that. _

But he couldn’t ignore the fact that it wasn’t safe around here. If he went out to live in the barn, or the Twolegs set him loose, he could easily meet a dangerous creature and have to fight alone. He could follow the river and see if it led him back home, as soon as possible. And he had to tell Caramel about it too. Maybe he’d know the best way to go. But Snowkit wanted to go as soon as he could, and see Mistlekit and Speckletail’s faces again. Missing them was the most intolerable pain he’d ever felt.


	10. Mistlekit

The three she-cats stayed the night at the edge of the field, with Cherrydrop standing guard for most of the night. Mistlekit had a hard time falling asleep, though. She couldn’t stop thinking about that dog hiding in the tall grass, just waiting to grab them and kill them.

But eventually she did, and woke up to the sun shining on her dark fur. Blinking her eyes open, Mistlekit spotted Lynxpaw and Cherrydrop sharing a thin rabbit not far off. There was a mouse for her. She sat up and began grooming her fur, smoothing down the tufts and ruffles. When she’d decided it tooked fine, she went over and sat down, tail curling over her paws as she watched the older cats eat. “Good morning,” she mewed. Cherrydrop’s green gaze drifted over to her. “Morning, dear.” Lynxpaw just grunted.

Mistlekit went over to the tortoiseshell she-cat and lifted up her wounded paw. The crack wasn’t bloody anymore. “How does it feel?” she said. “Does it still hurt?”

Lynxpaw shrugged. “A little. Only when I put a lot of weight on it.”

Mistlekit’s whiskers twitched. “Like...how?”

“Like when I’m standing. I sort of have to lift it up a little bit.”

“Well...I’ll go back and get some more yarrow before we set off again.”

Mistlekit bent down and began eating her mouse. She hardly had anything to eat last night, but this was warm and plump. She finished it in a few bites, burying the bones underneath the soil. She gave thanks to StarClan, as Speckletail always told her to, and then went off to get more yarrow. 

The store under the hedge was less plentiful now, but Mistlekit was able to scoop a few more stems out. She kept them in her teeth, breath wheezing as she made her way back to their makeshift camp. The entire area was covered in gorgeous morning sun. They were lucky it wasn’t raining.

“Okay,” Mistlekit sighed as she got back to Lynxpaw and Cherrydrop. “I’ve got some more yarrow...paw, please?”

Lynxpaw put her cracked pad in front of Mistlekit, and the small tabby smoothed the poultice over it. “There we go,” she said. “Now we’ll just wait for it to try and we’ll set off to Highstones.”

Cherrydrop smiled, her tail flicking back and forth. “You’re a regular medicine cat,” she said. “Ever thought about taking it up with Cinderpelt?”

Mistlekit shrugged. “I didn’t want to do it before Snowkit was carried off,” she replied. “But now it seems more interesting. No offense, but being a warrior is just hunting and patrolling. There’s more variety to being a medicine cat.”

“But you hardly ever leave camp,” Lynxpaw tilted her head.

“Well, it’s nice scenery in the medicine den,” Mistlekit said. “Besides, I’ve survived four moons without leaving camp, and I’m alright. Also there’s too much dust and sand outside...I’d be coughing so much my lungs would explode.”

“But...you’d think being a medicine cat would allow you to cure that,” Cherrydrop said as she ran a paw over her ear.

“Well, think of Runningnose,” Mistlekit pointed out. “He’s a medicine cat, yet he can’t cure his own cold. He does fine.”

“True.”

“Okay, it’s dried,” Lynxpaw stood up, tail lashing as she tried to keep her balance. “Come on. The sooner we get to Highstones, the sooner we can go home.”

So the three set off. Cherrydrop led them up past the field, still alert for the dog’s presence. Mistlekit followed after her, rejuvenated with energy. She couldn’t wait to get to Highstones, but she didn’t quite know what they would find when they got there. “Where are we going?” she asked Cherrydrop.

“We have to pass another Thunderpath soon,” the white she-cat said. “Though I can’t be sure. I’ve only been around this place once, when Bluestar took me and my brothers to the Moonstone.” Her eyes gleamed at the very mention of it. “That was a very long time ago, though.”

“What did it look like?”

“Oh, it was gorgeous!” Cherrydrop said. “Imagine a stone, but it’s massive, bigger than any cat or fox or badger. And it’s gleaming with light! I wish I could show you, Mistlekit.”

“Well...why can’t you?” Mistlekit said. “If we’re going there anyway…”

“Because a leader or a medicine cat has to be with you.”

Mistlekit sighed. “Oh,” she said, disappointed.

“Hey, if you become a medicine cat apprentice, you’ll get to go every half moon,” Lynxpaw pointed out. “Like Cinderpelt, you know? Wouldn’t that be cool?”

“I would have to walk this far every half-moon?”

“Well...no,” Cherrydrop replied. “We only stopped yesterday because of Lynxpaw’s pad. But we would have gotten farther if she hadn’t gotten injured.”

“Oh.”

Mistlekit gazed up at Highstones, where the Moonstone was wedged inside. Could she really go in if she wanted to be a medicine cat apprentice? If she was a warrior, she’d only get to go once, maybe twice if she was lucky. And it seemed like Cherrydrop’s visit had really impacted her. Mistlekit hummed in thought as she padded along. She was liking this idea more and more.

Soon the sour smell of the Thunderpath caught her nose again. “We’re nearly there,” Cherrydrop announced. “This one is a bit thinner, so it’s less of a chance we’ll get hit. But now that it's nearly sunhigh there’s more monsters.”

“Do you want me to carry you?” Lynxpaw asked.

Mistlekit shook her head. “No, I’m...I’m okay.” Holding her head high, she trotted across the dusty path, though her ears were pricked for signs of danger. She reached the grass on the other side and sighed in relief. “Whew.”

Suddenly she felt something brush past behind her, and her fur bristled. She whirled around to see a monster flying by them. “Wow!” she mewed. “It almost hit us!”

“Luckily it didn’t,” Cherrydrop said. “That’s why we need to keep our ears pricked…”

Mistlekit watched the monster run off and sighed, shaking her fur out. Highstones were looming over her like massive boulders. She could see snow on their peaks. “Wow...is that snow?”

“Yep,” Cherrydrop replied. 

“I’ve never seen it up there before.”

“We’re far too distant to see it, but...up there, it’s frigid.”

“How do you know that?”

“Well...it’s gotta be cold,” Lynxpaw rolled her eyes. “Look at all that ice.”

Mistlekit stared up at the tops of Highstones. Would she ever get up there? She wondered if Snowkit might be fighting his way through a storm. She picked up the pace, tail flicking back and forth.  _ I’ll get to you if it’s the last thing I do _ .

🦅🦅🦅

“There’s the barn!” Lynxpaw mewed. The tortoiseshell she-cat began running up the hill. Squinting, Mistlekit could see a square, wooden den sitting on the top of a slope. It smelled of mice and rabbit around here. Cherrydrop, who was carrying her, purred loudly. “My brother lives here.”

“Ravenpaw?” Mistlekit said, lifting her head.

“Yes, and his mate, Barley.”

Mistlekit smiled. Cherrydrop trotted up beside Lynxpaw, who was sticking her head in the opening of the barn. “I don’t think they’re in there,” she said, pulling her head back out. “What do we do?”

“Let’s try by the fence.”

Mistlekit jumped off of Cherrydrop’s back and onto the grass. It was soft and trodden down by many paws. Mistlekit saw strange markings in the dirt. “What do those tracks belong to?” 

“Ravenpaw said they were sheep.”

“Sheep?”

“White, fluffy animals with big yellow eyes. They have hooves instead of paws.”

Mistlekit sniffed the tracks. They smelled strange.

They padded around the barn and looked up at an old wooden face. A sleek black tom and a long-haired black-and-white tom were sitting there, talking to Lynxpaw. The black tom glanced up. “Cherrypaw!” he purred, jumping down and meeting the she-cat.

“I told you, it’s Cherrydrop now,” she replied, touching noses with him. “Oh, Mistlekit, this is Ravenpaw.”

Mistlekit suddenly felt a wave of shyness. “Hi,” she mumbled.

“She’s the daughter of Speckletail and Smallear,” Cherrydrop said. 

“Why are you three here?” the black and white tom rumbled. Mistlekit had to assume that was Barley. He looked kind, though his fur was ragged and torn with old scars. 

“Mistlekit’s brother was taken by a hawk,” Cherrydrop explained. “We’re off to the mountains to find him. This is the last place Brackenfur and Swiftpaw said he passed over.”

“Did you happen to see him?” Lynxpaw meowed hopefully.

“I saw a hawk pass over earlier,” Ravenpaw said. “Was that him?”

“No,” Lynxpaw shook her head. “It was a day or two ago.”

Mistlekit sighed. “I was hoping you had seen him.”

“Don’t worry,” Barley jumped down from the fence and went over to her. “I’m sure you’ll find him. If he’s a good, healthy cat, he’ll make his way back to you.”

Cherrydrop cautiously glanced over at Mistlekit. “He’s deaf.”

Ravenpaw’s green eyes stretched wide. “Really?”

“Mhm.”

“I haven’t heard of a deaf cat since…Featherkit,” Ravenpaw glanced up at Cherrydrop, and she stared at her paws.

“What? Who’s that?” 

“Featherkit?” Cherrydrop drew her head up, startled. 

“Yeah.”

“She was...another deaf kit,” Ravenpaw said uneasily. 

“Well...what happened to her?”

Ravenpaw and Cherrydrop stared at each other for a while in complete silence. “You wanna come inside and have a meal with us?” Barley meowed, cutting in to the uncomfort. 

“Sure!” Cherrydrop said, padding past Mistlekit quickly.

“Wait! Wait!” Mistlekit ran after her. “What happened to Featherkit?”

“Well, she...uh...had a brother named Cricketkit.”

“And? What happened to  _ him _ ?”

Cherrydrop shrugged as they went inside the barn. “I don’t...I’ll tell you later,” she mumbled. “Ravenpaw?”

“Yeah?”

The two littermates began talking as they went inside. Mistlekit scowled. Cherrydrop was avoiding it! “Lynxpaw?” she mewed. “What happened to...Featherkit and Cricketkit?”

The tortoiseshell she-cat shrugged. “I dunno.”

_ Ugh, _ Mistlekit thought.  _ Well. I’ll have to found out eventually. _

“Why don’t you three stay here for the night?” Barley said, digging up a few mice from the pile of hay. “We’ve got plenty of room here.”

“Possibly,” Cherrydrop said, licking her paw pad. “I don’t know.”

“Oh, come on,” Ravenpaw purred, draping over his sister’s back. “I never get to see you anymore!”

Cherrydrop smiled. “Maybe.”

Mistlekit watched Barley drop a mouse in front of her, but her stomach was churning. If something awful had happened to Featherkit and Cricketkit, how could Snowkit ever be expected to survive on his own?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new chapter?? 👀🍋


End file.
